Fears for elderly as final branch goes

A MARKET town will lose its remaining bank two years to the day since two other large banks closed their branches. Lloyds is joining the exodus from Coleshill in Warwickshire, despite fears that the branch was a lifeline for elderly customers.

Lloyds’ exodus from Burslem has infuriated people in the Potteries town (Image: SWNS)

It announced it will leave the high street in October, two years after Barclays and HSBC both left in September 2016.

Estate agent Colin Lewis said the town has been stung again by bank closures.

The town with a population of 6,500 people will be left with a branch of the Coventry Building Society.

Mr Lewis, who runs House & Home said: “There have been banks here for hundreds of years. A lot of people switched to Lloyds when those two closed, but now they have been stung again. It’s a blow to the town.

“The youngsters will be fine as they are used to online banking.

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“It has been a lifeline for them and we’ve already had some people saying to us ‘where do we go now?’ It’s a problem as many don’t drive. I cannot see another bank coming here to replace those we’ve lost.

“The old HSBC is now a fish and chip shop and Barclays has become a Costa. These days all these former banks are being turned into eateries.”

Lloyds said 75 per cent of personal customers in the town already use other branches.

A spokesman said: “We have made the difficult decision to close the Coleshill branch due to the changing ways customers choose to bank with us.”